Official Gamecube IDE/USB interface thread (PROJECT BEGUN!)

dragonhead · Post by **dragonhead** » Tue Sep 09, 2008 10:51 pm

if you want to save money on PCBs read this:
http://www.nearfuturelaboratory.com/200 ... tuff/?page

Dark-Aries · Post by **Dark-Aries** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 5:03 am

Loading ISos from USBs sound cool!.....okay if I start to make a Gamecube laptop this is what's going into it... Just one question..do you think there's a possibility of adding LAN to it? I remember when a company not to long ago tried to make these that were going to add a lan adapter...would be a cool idea to look into when you get these rolling would it not?

dragonhead · Post by **dragonhead** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 5:49 am

Dark-Aries wrote:Loading ISos from USBs sound cool!.....okay if I start to make a Gamecube laptop this is what's going into it... Just one question..do you think there's a possibility of adding LAN to it? I remember when a company not to long ago tried to make these that were going to add a lan adapter...would be a cool idea to look into when you get these rolling would it not?

i think you may be misunderstanding a little bit. this is an interface to load disc imaged off of a hard drive or compact flash card. Not USB flash drives. the usb interface would be to download the disc images to the attach storage device.

as for LAN, what purpose would that serve?

Website · Post by **Life of Brian** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 12:06 pm

dragonhead wrote:if you want to save money on PCBs read this:
http://www.nearfuturelaboratory.com/200 ... tuff/?page

Wow, great link!

khaag · Post by **khaag** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 1:23 pm

Ok, so let me get this straight without having to read back TOO far...

You have a theoretically working PCB design that just needs to be manufactured and populated. Do you have the programming done already, or is it still in development? If this thing actually gets built, I am definitely on board to buy one if it means a smaller, lighter portable.

Dark-Aries · Post by **Dark-Aries** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:15 pm

dragonhead wrote:
Dark-Aries wrote:Loading ISos from USBs sound cool!.....okay if I start to make a Gamecube laptop this is what's going into it... Just one question..do you think there's a possibility of adding LAN to it? I remember when a company not to long ago tried to make these that were going to add a lan adapter...would be a cool idea to look into when you get these rolling would it not?
i think you may be misunderstanding a little bit. this is an interface to load disc imaged off of a hard drive or compact flash card. Not USB flash drives. the usb interface would be to download the disc images to the attach storage device.

as for LAN, what purpose would that serve?

Oh..I thought we could strem isos or debug the games with the usb...damn...

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 4:05 pm

khaag wrote:Ok, so let me get this straight without having to read back TOO far...

You have a theoretically working PCB design that just needs to be manufactured and populated.

Right.

khaag wrote:Do you have the programming done already, or is it still in development?

Destop left things pretty up-in-the-air, but once he saw that people were actually trying (and failing) to build it (over at Dextrose), he finished a few things up to the point where it shouldn't take much from here to get it working. One thing he did was add a compiled (exe) program that will program the PROM via the FX2, eliminating the need for a JTAG interface, so that made things a bit easier and cheaper. The ISO loader program was still left in C source code form, and needed to be compiled before being functional. But, I managed to do that after some messing around in Dev-C++. As I understand it, I am the only person that has managed to do this. It looks like no one else has even tried.

The only other thing that needs to be done software-wise is getting the FX2 programmed. The FX2 only has flash memory, so it can't store its own code. It gets programmed upon boot-up; just like the FPGA would if it didn't have a PROM to store its code. (The PROM stores the code when the circuit isn't powered. On boot-up, the PROM basically injects its code into the FPGA's flash memory.) So, as I understand it, drivers have to be compiled for the FX2, which will instantly program it and recognized it as a USB device once plugged in.

Dark-Aries wrote:Oh..I thought we could strem isos or debug the games with the usb...damn...

Debug? Not so much, but yeah, you can stream ISO directly from the server (computer) via USB. This is a feature that Destop has pushed possibly more than the IDE aspect, but has been ignored by a lot of us. We just want a mass storage device so we can cram 50 games into our portables, in less space than the Disk Drive alone takes up.

Dark-Aries · Post by **Dark-Aries** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 5:57 pm

Electric Rain wrote: Debug? Not so much, but yeah, you can stream ISO directly from the server (computer) via USB. This is a feature that Destop has pushed possibly more than the IDE aspect, but has been ignored by a lot of us. We just want a mass storage device so we can cram 50 games into our portables, in less space than the Disk Drive alone takes up.

I wasn't hoping for the debuig feature but that streaming feature is the oine I want for my GCLappy...when I get the parts to make it...streaming games from usb...Awesome feature to have so I don't need to buy an HD automatically..

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 6:08 pm

Well then, I guess I was right when I said different people want different things out of this project.

dragonhead · Post by **dragonhead** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 6:10 pm

Electric Rain wrote:Well then, I guess I was right when I said different people want different things out of this project.

just let me load games off of some sort of IDE device. thats all i want

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 6:14 pm

Well, the first version will be fully functional, as it will be based as much as possible around the original design. That's the best way get it working at first. We'll talk about alternate versions tailored to people's needs a bit later.

dragonhead · Post by **dragonhead** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 6:21 pm

Electric Rain wrote:Well, the first version will be fully functional, as it will be based as much as possible around the original design. That's the best way get it working at first. We'll talk about alternate versions tailored to people's needs a bit later.

is it mostly SMD or throughole components? id like to look into maybe purchasing a kit of sorts at a lower price. assembling electronics is a cakewalk

Electric Rain · Post by **Electric Rain** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 6:30 pm

The three chips are all SMD, so I decided it was best for size if I kept everything SMD. The only things that are through-hole are the IDE connector (purposely, but now's not the time to explain why) and the pins on the daughterboard that will be soldered in place of the P9 connector (the one that mates with the CN-101 connector on the DD board) on the Gamecube motherboard. I can offer it in kit form, sure, but who's really gonna have the equipment to solder it correctly?

That's where most of the cost is for me with this project: New tools. I set my mind on a particular station that should handle this project and any other project I decide to tackle down-the-road without a problem. But, I can't say any more about that without ruining the surprise in store for all of you. You'll all know what's up within a week.

Dark-Aries · Post by **Dark-Aries** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 6:53 pm

Cool...I can wait a week...

BENHECKERS! PREPARE FOR GLORY!

lol...

But one question...how would we install this into our gamecube, like just take the DDmobo out then plug in the kit we buy or how will this work?

dragonhead · Post by **dragonhead** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 7:17 pm

Electric Rain wrote:The three chips are all SMD, so I decided it was best for size if I kept everything SMD. The only things that are through-hole are the IDE connector (purposely, but now's not the time to explain why) and the pins on the daughterboard that will be soldered in place of the P9 connector (the one that mates with the CN-101 connector on the DD board) on the Gamecube motherboard. I can offer it in kit form, sure, but who's really gonna have the equipment to solder it correctly?

That's where most of the cost is for me with this project: New tools. I set my mind on a particular station that should handle this project and any other project I decide to tackle down-the-road without a problem. But, I can't say any more about that without ruining the surprise in store for all of you. You'll all know what's up within a week.

try this for the first set http://openhardware.net/Misc_Stuff/ToasterSMD/